Ossan Saikyō Chapter 1 Part 03
Sleep after sunset, and act at sunrise.
In this world where nighttime lighting is insufficient, that kind of lifestyle seems to be the norm.
Well, I used to go camping in my previous life (?), so this part isn’t a problem.
(E/N: That ? mark isn't me)
After eating breakfast first thing in the morning, I decided to head to the so-called Dungeon I had looked into yesterday.
There are three dungeons around the town of Tolson: two are F-class dungeons, and one is a D-class dungeon.
Dungeon classes correspond to adventurer ranks, and F-rank adventurers are recommended to enter F-class dungeons.
However, one thing to be careful about is that “recommended for F-rank adventurers” basically means “recommended for F-rank adventurer parties”.
Since parties are assumed to be 3 to 5 people, it effectively means, “Please form a group of at least three F-rank adventurers before entering an F-class dungeon”.
So for today, I only plan to observe and not enter. I can’t even properly swing a mace yet, let alone fight monsters.
After leaving town and walking for about an hour following the guide signs, I began to see a massive rock in the middle of the plain.
There was a large hole in that rock… apparently, that was the entrance to the dungeon.
Around the entrance, several adventurer parties had already gathered, checking their equipment and such.
Looking closely, I spotted the party of the young man I spoke to yesterday in the dining hall. They should be E-rank, so I wonder why they’re entering an F-class dungeon.
I considered talking to them, but since they were about to head into battle, they might be on edge, so I decided against it.
While I was watching from a distance, all the parties there entered the dungeon.
“Maybe I’ll just take a quick look.”
I plan to practice swinging the mace afterward, but it would help to see what kind of place I’ll be fighting in.
I approached the massive rock and peered inside through the roughly 3 × 3 meter opening.
Inside looked like a cave made of stone. It sloped gently downward, seemingly continuing underground.
One of the mysteries of dungeons is that they’re faintly illuminated even deep inside. Thanks to that, adventurers don’t need torches, which is convenient.
“Hey, if you’re not going in, move aside.”
Oh!
Looks like another party had arrived. I apologized to the well-built young man who called out and left the area.
Alright, scouting is done. Time to find somewhere out of sight and get some exercise.
◇◆◇
I headed back toward town from the dungeon and stepped into a small forest off the road.
Of course, it was to practice swinging the mace.
I learned this back when I was forced to participate in a company baseball tournament in my younger days: beginners can’t even properly swing a bat.
Even professional baseball players practice swings, so it’s only natural, but it was still surprising to know for someone like me who never seriously exercised.
So I figured jumping straight into real combat was out of the question, and at the very least, I should practice swinging the mace.
I set down my backpack and picked up the mace.
It’s a metal rod with several angular metal plates attached at the tip.
For now, I tried swinging it a few times.
Strangely, it didn’t feel that heavy. My body also moved far more smoothly than before.
With a Whoosh!, the mace swung down… it definitely looked like it could deal serious damage on its own.
I continued swinging the mace with complete focus. My body, which should have been worn down, was in unusually good condition. Maybe this is also an effect of the Awakening.
I must have done hundreds of practice swings when suddenly, a strange sensation enveloped my body.
The mace, which I had been swinging down with brute force, suddenly started to move naturally.
It wasn’t like I gradually got used to it. It felt more like my level suddenly increased and my stats changed; a very game-like physical sensation.
“I see… so this is what it means to acquire a ‘Skill’.”
But this phenomenon was actually something I already knew about. It was written in the Guild’s adventurer guide.
Those who have Awakened can gain special abilities called Skills through repeated experience. These are completely different from normal skill improvement through practice… they are, so to speak, “Powers granted by the Gods”.
In game terms, I’ve probably just acquired something like【Mace】Lv.1.
“But this is… amazing.”
I continued swinging the mace. Imagining an opponent in my mind, I attacked from various angles, aiming at different body parts.
Even though these were movements I had never done before, my body moved as if I had trained for years.
Even more surprising, despite swinging a heavy mace hundreds of times, I wasn’t exhausted yet.
I’ve never had this level of strength or endurance in my life. It became so enjoyable that before I realized it, I had continued practicing for another hour.
Just as I was thinking of stopping, a second level-up came.
I decided to mentally note it as【Mace】Lv.2. Apparently, there is a way to check acquired skills, but it doesn’t exist in the town of Torson.
“Alright, let’s try training other skills too.”
After confirming that my mace swings had become even sharper, I moved on to the next training.
◇◆◇
That day ended with me trying various things until sunset.
After returning to the inn, I finished dinner and lay down on the bed. As expected, a fair amount of fatigue had built up in my body.
In exchange for that fatigue, these are the skills I seem to have obtained:
━━━━━━━━━━
Weapon Skills
【Mace 】Lv.2
【Dagger 】Lv.1
Defense Skills
【Buckler】Lv.1
Physical Skills
【Vitality 】Lv.2
【Strength】Lv.2
【Speed】Lv.2
【Surge】Lv.2
【Reflex】Lv.2
Sensory Skills
【Vision】Lv.1
【Hearing】Lv.1
【Scent】Lv.1
【Touch】Lv.1
【Dynamic Acuity】Lv.1
【Presence Detection】Lv.2
━━━━━━━━━━
Most of them are exactly what their names suggest, but【Buckler】refers to a small shield. I acquired it by imagining blocking attacks and bracing myself while holding the shield.
【Presence Detection】is a skill that allows me to sense the presence of animals and such.
By going deeper into the forest and searching for animals and insects, I gradually became able to tell where they were and acquired it. According to the guide, it’s essential for avoiding surprise attacks from monsters, so it was a skill I definitely wanted.
All in all, even though I spent an entire day on it, I feel like I gained quite a lot.
Not just the skills themselves, but also realizing that “training with a clear intention to acquire a specific skill is more efficient” was a big takeaway.
It might seem obvious to someone educated in modern Japan, but it wasn’t written in the adventurer guide. Maybe it’s common knowledge here, or maybe it’s a “Columbus’s egg”-type discovery.
Well, there’s no point overthinking it now.
I’m still just a rookie on my second day in another world. For now, I’ll train for one more day tomorrow, and the day after that, I’ll try entering the dungeon.
It would probably be better to form a party, but I’m hesitant to suddenly build close relationships with people from a world with completely different culture and customs.
Having lived in society, I know that human relationships carry the highest risks.
(E/N: True, Ossan, so true…)
I actually asked that young man about it during dinner, and apparently the shallow areas of that dungeon aren’t that dangerous even alone.
When I brought up skills briefly, he said that even having a weapon skill at Lv.1 would be enough, so if I train for one more day, I should be fine for now.
Still, he told me, “Make sure you bring potions”, so I’ll go buy some. That guy seems like a pretty decent person after all.
As I thought about all that, I slowly slipped into dreamland.
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E/N:
Mind you, whatever status you see now is speculation from Ossan's side. We'll come across items which appraise the user's status later!
Stay tuned!
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